Abstract
BackgroundSurgical site infections [SSIs] are the second most common type of healthcare-associated infections and leading cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality in pediatric cardiac surgery. This study aims to determine the rate of, risk factors for, and most common pathogen associated with the development of SSIs after pediatric cardiac surgery.MethodsPatients aged ≤14 years who underwent cardiac surgery at our tertiary care hospital between January 2010 and December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed.ResultsThe SSI rate was 7.8% among the 1510 pediatric patients reviewed. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection [CAUTI] [odds ratio [OR] 5.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3–13.8; P < 0.001], ventilator-associated pneumonia [VAP] [OR 3.2; 95% CI 1.4–7.2; P = 0.005], longer postoperative stay [≥25 days] [OR 4.1; 95% CI 2.1–8.1; P < 0.001], and a risk adjustment in congenital heart surgery [RACHS-1] score of ≥2 [OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.2–5.6; P = 0.034] were identified as risk factors for SSIs. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen [32.2%].ConclusionsSSI risk factors were longer postoperative stay, CAUTI, VAP, and RACHS-1 score of ≥2. Identification and confirmation of risk factors in this study is important in order to reduce the rate of SSIs following cardiac surgery.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
